Hawaiian Workers Fight Forced Furloughs

HONOLULU (CN) – Twenty-four thousand state workers – 13,000 of them teachers – say Gov. Linda Lingle violated collective bargaining agreements by announcing on June 1 that all state employees would be given 3-day unpaid furloughs each month for the next 2 years.

The United Public Workers AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO sued the state in O’ahu Circuit Court. The Hawaii State Teachers Association filed a similar complaint. Both plaintiff groups are represented by Takahashi Vasconcellos & Covert.